


In Emantur Ligna

by FleetSparrow



Series: Story a Day in May 2019 [10]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-05-10
Packaged: 2020-02-29 19:41:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18784891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetSparrow/pseuds/FleetSparrow
Summary: Joe sees someone he hasn't seen in a long time, just by doing one thing different.





	In Emantur Ligna

**Author's Note:**

> Day 10 of Story a Day in May! Prompt: A character moment (that reflects the "damage" from yesterday's prompt).
> 
> I'm not sure if I did that but I tried.

Joe’s routine was a simple one: Wake up, eat breakfast, walk to work, work, have lunch at his desk, work, walk home, make dinner, shower, bed. Since his divorce five years before, this had been his routine. Now he had a soul to take care of.

At first, he left it home, not sure what to do with it, but sure it would be fine in a safe place. Then he began to notice other souls following their owners to and fro. Kevin in his office had a purple soul floating above his cubicle—Joe wasn’t sure, but he thought perhaps the different color of Kevin’s soul meant he was a more advanced owner, which didn’t bother Joe. Joe knew his limits.

So he started to bring his soul with him when he went to work. Most people ignored it, although Kevin had given him a thumb’s up when he noticed. His routine once again had a new element in it, but it didn’t worry Joe. Few things did.

Until one day, he did something different.

Instead of going home to have dinner, he took his soul out to eat. Not that souls ate, but he felt his soul should see a little more of the world. He sat where he could see the rest of the restaurant, his soul hovering across from him, occasionally dipping down to see the food or drink he had.

That was when he saw her. Maribelle.

She was with a friend, sitting so that she could see Joe if she looked up. Joe found himself watching her.

“You see a human friend, yes?” the soul asked.

“Yes. My wife.”

“Wife? There is no wife in your home.”

“She used to be,” Joe explained. “We’re not together anymore.”

“I shall see her,” said the soul, glowing a more vibrant blue. “I shall see wife.”

“No, please! I’m sure she’d rather not—”

At that moment, their eyes met across the restaurant. Maribelle smiled. Joe tried a smile in return. She laughed, and looked back to her friend.

“Wife is nice,” the soul said. “We know these things.”

“Yes. She always was.” Joe lowered his eyes and returned to his food. When he looked up again, she and her friend were leaving. She gave him another smile before leaving, and Joe nodded.


End file.
